1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a baitcasting reel, and more particularly to a baitcasting reel including a spool rotatably supported between right and left frames and a clutch mechanism for selectively allowing, when disengaged, free rotation of the spool or transmitting, when engaged, a drive force from a handle to the spool.
2. Description of the Related Art
A construction for controlling a clutch mechanism of a baitcasting reel is known from e.g. Japanese published utility model gazette Sho. 59-32284. This conventional construction includes a clutch lever for disengaging the clutch mechanism and a clutch return lever for engaging the clutch mechanism. The construction further includes a control system for engaging the clutch mechanism when the handle is operated in a line retrieving direction when the clutch mechanism is disengaged.
Incidentally, in the above-described conventional construction, the clutch lever and the clutch return lever are provided to the side frame mounting the handle, so that the clutch mechanism may be engaged with a left-hand operation of the return lever while gripping a fishing rod with the right hand.
According to the above prior art, for instance, for a lure casting operation, the clutch mechanism is disengaged. Then, immediately after casting the rod with one hand, the clutch mechanism may be engaged with an operation by the other hand, without operating the handle, thereby to restrict excessive feeding of the fishing line and also to effect a `hooking` in response to a bite of a fish.
In the lure casting, generally, the hand which grips the rod is brought into a rod cast posture and then during the period between the lure casting to the landing of the lure, a thumbing operation is effected with the thumb of the hand gripping the rod in the above posture.
After the landing of the lure, the clutch mechanism is engaged for starting a reeling operation. Then, if the angler feels a bite of a fish immediately after the landing of the lure and wishes to effect a hooking, he/she has to immediately engage the clutch mechanism. However, according to the above-described conventional reel, since the hand gripping the rod is maintained at the rod cast posture, such speedy clutch operation is difficult since the other hand has to be moved by a significant distance to the reel located at the rod cast position.
Further, with this type of reel, a lure casting operation and a reeling operation are repeatedly carried out. Then, improvement has been desired for facilitating the engaging and disengaging operations of the clutch mechanism.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a baitcasting Peel which allows easy engaging and disengaging operations of the clutch mechanism and which allows the clutch engaging operation without the necessity of detaching the angler's thumb engaged in a thumbing operation.